www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 21 PAGE | 22 Ashwin stars as Pogba lifts Franceance India whitewash as Belgium beateat Black Caps Gibraltar WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER 2016 • 11 MOHARRAM 1438 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Iran top of Group A, Adbulraheem shoots four to down Thailand The Peninsula Abdulrahim lurking to fire home from close range. The Thailand ‘keeper was seeing a great deal more of the ball than his outfield TEHRAN: Sardar Azmoun struck team-mates but he was beaten in the 25th minutes Iran recorded again on 25 minutes after his a thrilling 1-0 win against South parry from Yasin’s shot went only Korea while Iraq’s Mohanad as far as Abdulraheem who con- Adbulraheem scored all four goals verted from inside six yards. to spearhead a 4-0 rout against Again, Kawin pawed away a Thailand as the third round of goal-bound free-kick from Adnan Qatar’s Hassan Al Haydos FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 Asian with eight minutes of the half (right) celebrates after Qualifiers continued yesterday. remaining. scoring a penalty during Both games took place in the Just before half-time Yasin their 2018 World Cup Irani capital. had a golden chance to make it qualifying football match Iran’s win at Azadi Stadium 3-0 at the break as Iraq surged against Syria at the Jassim took them to the top of Group A up field on the counter-attack but Bin Hamad Stadium in and also ensured their undefeated when Abdulraheem laid the ball Doha yesterday. record. on for his team-mate, Yasin could Despite Iran dominating the only steer his shot wide of Kawin’s game the margin of victory was left-hand post. slight, with Team Melli indebted Thailand improved after the to a fine instinctive strike from restart though and Iraq custodian Azmoun as he fired home Ramin Mohammed Hameed had to be Rezaeian’s cross inside the open- quick off his line to deny Teerasil ing half hour. Dangda with a brave block at the Al Haydos on target as Qatar The victory for Carlos Que- striker’s feet. iroz’s side is their second But just as they were struck a consecutive 1-0 win in less than blow on 69 minutes as defender a week, after they won in Koravit was dismissed by refe- Uzbekistan by the same scoreline ree Ma Ning following a coming last Thursday, and the result also together with Iraq’s Ahmed edge Syria to pick up points sees them leapfrog over the Cen- Ibrahim. tral Asians who had temporarily Abdulraheem ensured Thai- taken the pole position in Group land’s miserable outing was A after defeating China 2-0 in the complete by firing home two group’s earlier tie. more late goals to take his and Star striker’s At Tehran’s PAS Stadium, Iraq’s tally to four for the night. Adbulraheem’s heroics also I n T a s h k e n t , U z b e k i s t a n g o t successful spot earned Iraq’s first points of the their third round campaign back kick earns first win FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 Asian on track after they rebounded Qualifiers Third Round. from last Thursday’s loss to Iran for Qatar in final Abdulraheem, who scored the with a 2-0 win over China. qualification round opener in the Matchday Two tie The result also triggered the against Saudi Arabia, got Iraq off resignation of the visitors’ coach to a flying start on eight minutes Gao Hongbo. After a goalless before he added his second in the first half in the Uzbek capital, By Rizwan Rehmat 25th minute as Iraq ran rampant Marat Bikmaev broke the dead- The Peninsula in the first half. lock five minutes after the restart Thailand raised their game and thereafter it was largely one- after the break but Koravit Nam- way traffic for the hosts, although wiset’s red card and Prathum they had to wait until five minutes DOHA: Striker Hassan Al Haydos Chutong’s withdrawal through before the end and a strike from yesterday produced the only goal of hamstrung injury halted their Otabek Shukurov to ensure the the match as hosts Qatar edged Syria revival before Abdulraheem three points. 1-0 in a tense 2018 FIFA World Cup rubbed salt into wounds with his The result also sees qualifying match. hat-trick on 87 minutes and the Uzbekistan pick up their third Playing in front of a packed Al game’s final goal of the night in win in four games in qualifying Sadd Stadium, Al Haydos converted stoppage time. and remain very much in conten- a penalty kick in the 37th minute as Kawin could do nothing about tion for a place at the 2018 FIFA Qatar picked up their first points in the opener just three minutes World Cup finals. four Asian Zone qualifying matches. later though as Saad Abdu- For China, the result has even The hero of the day, Al Haydos lameer nodded on Ahmed Yasin’s more far-reaching ramifications said: “I am very happy. We played Qatar coach Jorge Fossati gestures during their 2018 World Cup qualifying football match against Syria at corner and Abdulzahra’s subse- with coach Gao announcing his really well. We created chances. We the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha yesterday. RIGHT: Qatari footballer Sebastian Soria controls the ball. quent header across goal found departure from the national team. Pictures by: Baher Amin/The Peninsula wasted a lot of chances also in the first half. This is the best three points of the qualifying season for us. We In their first actual threaten- card as heated exchanges between later, Syria coach Ayman Al Hakeem are motivated to carry on the good ing move, Qatar striker Mohammed the two sides increased. The two brought in Rafat Mohtadi in place of work.” Kasola jumped high in the air but teams walked off the pitch at half Khaled Mobayed. He added: “There was a bit of his snap-header flew past the Syr- time with Qatar leading 1-0. In the 68th minute, influential hesitation between me and Sebastian ian goalmouth without causing any Soon after the resumption of Qatar forward Al Haydos had only Soria as we missed chances to score. damage in the 19th minute. play, both teams upped the ante in the Syrian goalkeeper to beat but his Every game is hard. We are prepared Striker Al Haydos produced a bit a desperate bid to control the game. feeble lob ball from close range was to play in the coming games also.” of a cameo move to score the home However, Qatar showed better resil- easily deflected by Alma. Coached by Jorge Fossati, Qatar team’s match-winning goal in the ience up front. Coach Fossati - who relied on braved a physical onslaught from 37th minute. Syria, reeling from a goal’s def- Rodrigo Tabata’s brilliance to win the Syrian players who stuck to their Al Haydos dribbled past Moayad icit, ushered in their first substitute last season’s Qatar Stars League ‘defense first’ approach for much of Al Ajan and charged into the Syria in the 53rd minute as Osama Omari (QSL) title - brought on the Brazil- the game. box where Zaheera Al Medani came off the bench to replace Yousef ian-born striker in the 77th minute, In what was a cagey start to the brought down the Qatar forward Kalfa. Seconds later, striker Akram in place of Assadalla. proceedings, Syria launched their with a needless tackle. Afif fired a superb low pass to Soria, Syria’s Omar Khribin curled in a trademark physical game, bringing The referee promptly pointed who raced into the box, shrugged off David Beckham-like free kick in the down Qatar players twice in the first to the spot kick which was expertly his marker but fired straight at Syria 84th minute but Qatar goalkeeper two minutes of the game. On both converted by Al Haydos, aiming for goalkeeper Alma in the 54th minute. Saad Al Sheeb produced a diving occasions, referee warned Syria’s the right of the Syrian goalkeeper Four minutes later, Syria’s Al deflection with his left palm, much Mahmoud Al Mawas for ‘reckless Ibrahim Alma. It was Al Haydos’ Mawas went for a long-range mis- to the delight of the home fans at Al foul-play’. second consecutive goal off a pen- sile but his shot flew past the Qatar Sadd Stadium. Qatar held on to the Iran’s Ashkan Dejgah (right) tackles South Korea’s Ki Sung- Qatar midfielders and strikers alty kick in as many games. He also goalpost safely. slender lead to take their first points. yueng during the 2018 World Cup qualifying football match kept Syria defense edgy but it was scored against Korea last week. At the one hour-mark, Qatar The Qatar players walked around at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran yesterday. the referee who was forced into play Soon after the goal, Qatar’s Ali coach Fossati brought in Karim the Al Sadd Stadium pitch to thank to clam frayed tempers on both sides. Asadalla was slapped with a yellow Boudiaf to replace Afif. Four minutes their fans for the support. WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER 2016 21 Woods Ashwin stars as India postpones comeback whitewash Black Caps AFP LOS ANGELES: Tiger Woods rocked the golf world on Mon- Mystery spinner claims day after abruptly cancelling his long-awaited comeback, raising Zimbabwe career best figures fresh questions about his ability of 13 for 140 to lead to return to the highest levels of appoint the sport he once ruled.